Teal Love
by lego.iready
Summary: Follow Sophie Foster as she pursues love with Fitz Vacker, her long-time crush. Will the two finally become official or will Sophitz come to a halt? Only Shannon knows, but we can take a pretty good guess!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Any concepts used in this work belong to Shannon Messenger.

Author's Note: Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my work. This is my very first fan fiction story, based on Shannon Messenger's _Keeper of the Lost Cities_. Essentially, this will be a continuation of Sophie Foster and Fitz Vacker's relationship after _Flashback_, and will be focused mainly on them, but other aspects of the books will definitely make an appearance. Without further ado, enjoy!

**Prologue**

In almost all cases, the match was a normal rite of passage for elven teenagers. Fitz Vacker remembered picking up his packet from the Matchmakers' Office and intermittently filling out the hundreds of questions over the course of his Level Five year. Some of the questions seemed too broad to actually affect the lists, some so specific it seemed only one elf would ever meet the standards. It was still a wonder to Fitz that the matchmakers could make sense of it all, let alone use it to find compatible partners. It was said there was nothing more memorable than receiving your first list of possible choices; everyone had a specific name they hoped was on their list. The Winnowing Galas were where relationships began, and most of those relationships stuck. With so few bad matches in the Lost Cities, it was clear the match was extremely accurate. Still, Fitz worried.

He's long since completed his packet, but there was more than enough reason for him to wait to turn it in to the offices; one more aspect of the match was that only those elves who registered could be matched, and _she_ was a year younger than Fitz.

Sophie Foster.

Sweet, gorgeous, talented, amazing Sophie. Fitz had had feelings for her ever since he had known her, and even more so since they had become Cognates. He hadn't known until recently that Sophie had the same feelings for him. They'd been in Everglen's reception hall, talking about the matchmaking process, how Sophie might register. The two of them were alone, and Fitz had decided to tell her:

_I want it to be you._

Sophie has seemed shocked at first, and Fitz had wondered if he had made the wrong choice in telling her then, but there was no turning back. Then Sophie spoke the words Fitz hadn't dared to hope for:

_I've liked you since the day I met you._

The fond memory was still fresh in Fitz's mind. Later, they'd sat under Calla's Panakes and discussed what had transpired in that hall. Sophie had wanted to wait, saying she wasn't ready for a relationship yet, but it didn't make Fitz like her any less. He was content to wait as long as he had to if it meant Sophie was happy; even centuries could not deter Fitz.

Now, Sophie had decided to register for the match. Fitz was elated, of course. There was no chance of them being a bad match; he was sure she would be on his lists.

But what if she wasn't?


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

_Unmatchable._

The word flitted around in Sophie's mind, repeating over and over. It was an ugly word, filled with so much sorrow to respond to the anxiety Sophie had felt up until now. Why was it that just when she was brave enough to register in the matchmaking system, just when things were looking up for her love life, something like this had to happen? It was as though fate didn't want her to be with Fitz. All those times, the _moments_ she had with him, they were in some way interrupted. They could never seem to catch a break. The feeling of despair was almost eating away at her memories of Fitz.

"I'm...unmatchable?" Sophie said out loud, the words not nearly equating to her hectic thoughts.

The two matchmakers who were overseeing her registry seemed as shocked as she was, but were quick to mask their surprise, replacing it with businesslike indifference.

"This is unprecedented," said one of the matchmakers, Brisa. "We'll have to talk to one of the more experienced Matchmakers."

"Don't worry, Miss Foster," assured the other, Juji, "we'll get this sorted out. Ah...why don't you wait outside while we clear this up?"

Too numb to resist, Sophie allowed herself to be steered out of the room by Juji while the Brisa produced an Imparter, still looking at the woeful message that defined Sophie's match. The door closed behind them, and Juji led Sophie out to the atrium, where Grady and Edaline sat waiting for her. Juji left Sophie to her own and retreated back into the matchmaking room.

"How did it go?" asked Edaline as Sophie approached her. "You're back early, aren't you?"

"Where's you registry packet?" Grady inquired.

Sophie, still reeling from the results of her matching, gave the news bluntly.

"They said...I'm unmatchable."

"What?" Sophie's adoptive parents seemed shocked, and rightfully so. Sophie suspected that this was a rare occurrence, or even that it might never have happened in the history of matchmaking.

"The matchmaking algorithm said I'm unmatchable. I can't register." The realization of what had happened seemed to hit her parents like a wave. No matter what, they had always been supportive of her endeavors. Seeing Sophie crushed like this had just as large an impact on them as it did her.

"Sophie, I'm so sorry," Edaline said. "I've never heard of this happening. Grady, have you?"

"No, never. Not in the match's history," Grady reveled. "Sophie, I'm sure this was just a fluke. We'll get this sorted out with the matchmakers, okay?"

"Hold on a bit," Sophie replied, "the matchmakers said they're working on it. Hopefully they can figure it out."

Still looking worried, her parents agreed.

While the trio sat waiting for the matchmakers to summon them, Sophie had time to clear her head and get her thoughts straight. _This will be set straight,_ she told herself. _I've been through much worse and survived. The Matchmakers will figure this out._ Then a thought hit her.

What about Fitz?

How would she break the news that she couldn't register for matchmaking? He had said he didn't care about the lists, but Sophie still worried. He was a Vacker, after all, and had a legacy of nobility to live up to. If a Vacker were part of a bad match, the Lost Cities would be talking about it for centuries! Would his family pride outweigh his feelings for her?

She was snapped out of their thoughts as she saw Ceri striding toward them. Grady and Edaline stood, obviously eager to know the situation.

"Miss Foster, we are sorry for the delay," Ceri apologized. "This has never happened before, and we were unsure how to handle it..." The Matchmaker trailed off ominously.

Not liking where this seemed to be going, Sophie held her breath. The only one of them that still seemed to be thinking straight was Grady.

"What about the match? Can she register?" her father asked.

"Unfortunately, we still need to clear things up. For the time being, we don't know."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"What?"

"We don't know if Miss Foster will be eligible for the match."

"How can you do this? This is outrageous. It's unfair!"

Grady put Sophie's thoughts into words. The initial message was bad enough, but to hear it confirmed verbally was devastating. This could ruin Sophie's chances of being with Fitz. In fact, it could ruin her chances of being with anyone; the match was an integral part of elf society. If Sophie wasn't able to register for the match, there was no telling what would become of her love life. It felt so unfair; she had finally gathered the courage to register, deciding not to let her upbringing hold her back, but she'd been rejected by the system.

"We're sorry, Lord Ruewen. We are doing all we can to resolve the problem. We think it has something to do with her unknown genetic parents. Right now, we're going to need you to leave and await further notice."

"No, you're going to take care of this right now. At least let Sophie know if she can register. Do you know how much this means to her?"

Though appreciative of her father's protective words, Sophie saw there was no point fighting it.

"Dad...let's go," Sophie said defeatedly. "Let them figure it out. I can wait."

Grady hesitated, then relented. "Okay. If that's what you want."

It wasn't what she wanted, but it was the best option right now. They probably wouldn't figure this out in even a few days. The only thing Sophie could do was go home and wait.

The trio had Light Leaped home in silence. It was barely dark when they returned to Havenfield, but Sophie had gone up to her room. Her parents hadn't stopped her; they understood how she felt after all she had been through.

Sophie hoped it would all smooth out tomorrow. The incident with the match was still fresh in her mind, and she lay in bed worrying about how her life would be affected. How would Fitz take it? She had hailed him before leaving Havenfield to inform him that she was registering for the match.

Fitz was still mulling over Alvar's escape, and even more so over how Fitz had tried to kill him. He seemed more distant than ever these days. The few times Sophie had seen him, he had been studying or training with Grizel. Sophie worried about his sanity; elven minds didn't handle guilt well. On occasion, she had tried to bring up the subject with him, but he evaded the topic as well as he evaded the throwing stars in his training sessions. Sophie supposed battle training was helping him take his mind off his actions, but he would have to face it sooner or later.

When Sophie had told him about registering for the match, Fitz had instantly perked up. Even though Fitz had said he didn't care about the lists, they both knew the match would make their relationship much easier.

"The match?" he'd replied, elated, when Sophie spilled the news. "Sophie, that's great. And don't stress about it, okay? It's super easy; all you have to do is answer a few questions and you'll be out of there in no time."

So much for that. Sophie was stressing even more after the incident. She felt so bad about doing this to Fitz, even though she knew it wasn't her fault. Why couldn't she be a normal elf like Biana or Linh?

Linh.

What if Fitz chose Linh Song over Sophie? It was obvious he was impressed with Linh's powers. A few times, Sophie even thought she had seen them flirting. Linh was Sophie's friend, but Fitz was more than a friend. Even if they weren't officially together, Sophie still liked him and, selfish as it may be, she really didn't want him to start dating someone else. They were so close!

As Sophie was stressing over the match and her life and Fitz and Linh, a voice resonated in her head.

_Sophie? Can you hear me?_

Fitz! Sophie could almost see his teal eyes, anxious for an answer. She would have to have this conversation much sooner than expected, it seemed.

_Fitz! Um...hey._

_Hi. I think our training is really helping; I was able to reach you all the way from Everglen. Anyways, how are you? Did you register for the match?_

Still shaken by the day's events, Sophie decided to come clean.

_Actually, no._

_No? Oh. Why not?_

Sophie wanted to cry of shame when she felt the disappointment behind his words.

_It wasn't me. I wanted to register, really! The system wasn't able to register me._

_What? The system...failed? That's horrible. I'm so sorry, Sophie._

_Yeah. They think it has something to do with my birth parents._

_I'm really sorry. Sophie?_

_Yeah?_

_I want you to know that this doesn't matter. Not to me, at least. They'll figure it out, and I don't mind waiting. Even if they don't, I won't care. I won't let a list of names dictate how I feel about you. Okay?_

His kind words brought such relief to Sophie that she actually sank down in her bed. Fitz didn't care about the lists. He would like her all the same if she couldn't register. I'm the back of her mind, something opened like a floodgate and a tidal wave of comforting thoughts rushed out. Sophie knew the matchmakers would probably figure this out. She knew she would probably get her packet sometime soon. She knew that the matchmakers hadn't told anyone, that no one but Grady, Edaline, Fitz and her knew. And best of all, she knew that Fitz would care. _I won't care_, he had said. Sophie felt a rush of gratitude toward Fitz's warm presence in her mind. Once again thinking logically, Sophie allowed herself to let it go until tomorrow.

_Thank you. That means a lot to me._

_Sophie, I'd do anything for you. We'll get through this together. Don't stress about it too much. Promise?_

_Promise._

_Okay. I'll see you tomorrow._

_Okay. Fitz?_

_Yeah?_

_Um...can we keep this between us? I don't want people treating me weird._

_Of course. You didn't even have to ask, Sophie. My lips are sealed._

_Thanks. Bye._

_Any time._

Sophie severed the connection, greatly calmed. There was no reason to worry about Fitz and her. Sophie resolved to tell him if the situation developed, but otherwise she would put it out of her mind. She realized she had been so overwhelmed with the Neverseen, the match, and everything else that she had been falling behind on her school and social life. She decided to go back to a normal elven life until she was needed back in the world of the Black Swan. She lulled herself to sleep with a slew of comforting thoughts.

_No reason to worry..._


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Sophie awoke the next day refreshed and calm. Her echo hadn't made an appearance during all the fuss the day before, thankfully, but she took a sedative before sleep just in case. Her dreams had been filled with rainbows and ponies, but she was used to the bright imagery at this point.

When she Leaped to Foxfire, she was relieved to see no one treating her strangely; it was apparent that Fitz had kept his word. Magnate Leto's announcement yielded nothing new, and soon classes were underway. Sophie's first class was Inflictor training with Councillor Bronte. While neither Sophie nor Bronte was a fan of the class, they had grown to tolerate each other to the point where the class was productive.

"Take a seat, Miss Foster."

It was far from welcoming, but Sophie expected nothing more from the grumpy Ancient. Bronte had been extraordinarily disagreeable from day one. Sophie sat down on one of the two hard chairs in the barren room.

"What I want to do today is a simple Inflicting exercise. I want to work on how well you can target your ability."

Sophie agreed; she had no control over who she Inflicted, and it affected everyone in her general area. This had proven unhelpful in situations where she had had to Inflict the Neverseen with her friends present.

"Begin."

Sophie gathered all her negative emotion and energy into a mental knot and pushed it out towards Bronte. Other than nearly imperceptibly knotting his brow, Bronte seemed unaffected by the display. Discouraged, Sophie reined her emotions back in.

"You performed no better than our last session. Even being away from Foxfire for this long, you should have improved. There's something wrong."

Sophie felt Bronte's searching gaze on her, but did not answer.

"You do not have to tell me, but you need to resolve it, at least a little. Getting caught up in your emotions can hinder your abilities, especially Inflicting. If you want to be able to use this gift effectively, you need to give it your absolute focus. I know you may not think me the most reliable source of advice on emotional matters, but don't forget that I, too, was once young. I've found that many problems are superficial and can be resolved simply by communicating or accepting comforts. Once you realize that any and all things can be overcome, can be changed, you will be able to unlock your full potential not just in your abilities, but in your life. Sometimes, it is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. In your case, Sophie, I think you might become more powerful than any elf has ever dreamed of at the full extent of your mental capacity. Like I told you before, you are truly a special elf. All you need to do is let go of your fears."

Surprised by the inspirational talk coming from the Councillor of few words, Sophie didn't know how to respond. As she thought about what Bronte has said, it became clearer to her that she could work around her fears. She realized she had still been thinking about the match in the back of her mind, and suddenly saw how foolish it was of her to worry about it. The matchmakers were experienced in their field, and would be able to work her registry out. If it can to it, Sophie could ask Mr. Forkle to put in the names of her birth parents. Even if she still couldn't register, Fitz had said it didn't matter.

"I'll try to use your advice," she said to Bronte.

"Good. Now, try again."

This time, Sophie closed her eyes and diverted her energy from the worrisome part of her mind. When she gathered it into the knot, she was surprised at how much energy she spent centering on her anxiety. With the new reserve of mental energy open to her, Sophie pushed out again, this time able to concentrate more on one area. Opening her eyes, it was clear her improvement had caught Bronte off guard; Sophie saw him actually double over.

"Good. Good," he said when he regained his composure. "Use your emotions to empower your ability. That was much better. I think we'll be done for the day."

As if on cue, the bell rang after he said the words. Sophie left to go to her next class in amazement over her newfound energy.

After her eventful session with Councillor Bronte, Sophie attended a few more classes and then headed to lunch. She hadn't thought of Fitz all day with all the makeup class work she had to complete, but she realized this would be the first time they met in person since she tried to register for the match. Trying to focus on Bronte's advice and tune out her worries, Sophie entered the lunch hall.

The first thing she noticed was Fitz's captivating teal eyes searching for her from their usual table. The thought of Fitz looking for her made Sophie blush.

The other thing she noticed was Marella Redek staring at her strangely, as though analyzing her. Marella had been an on-and-off friend of Sophie's; they had had a falling out when Sophie got too caught up in Black Swan business, and had started to forget about Marella. They had made up, but things were still a little tense between them. Marella had a question in her gaze, but she kept quiet. Sophie got her food and sat down next to Fitz, minutely unsettled.

"Hey," she said, not sure what reaction their last conversation might entail.

"Hey, how are you?" Fitz said warmly, instantly erasing any anxieties Sophie may have had; it was clear he didn't think less of her because of the match incident.

"I'm fine. I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you."

Fitz gave her one of his movie star smiles, making her cheeks burn. "I'm glad. Don't sweat it, okay? It's going to turn out fine."

When the lunch hour ended, Sophie returned to her classes. The day seemed to fly by after that. Soon the final bell sounded and Sophie exited Elven History. On the way to her locker, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. It was Marella.

"Sophie?"

"Oh. Hi, Marella."

"Was that... actually, can we talk somewhere more private?"

"Sure. Let's go outside."

Unsure what had prompted such a meeting, Sophie went with Marella out to the school grounds. When they got to a sequestered spot, Marella stopped.

"Did you register for the match yesterday?"

The question was so sudden Sophie didn't know how to respond. "Well..."

"I only know because... well, I actually registered yesterday too."

It had never dawned on Sophie that one of her friends might have registered on the same day as her. But if Marella was there, that meant...

"So... you saw me there?"

"Yeah. It looked like there was something wrong, though." Marella's eyes held the same questioning look they had earlier. Sophie saw no point in hiding it if Marella already knew something had gone awry.

"I wasn't able to register. They need to know my birth parents."

Marella was as shocked as Grady and Edaline had been. "Sophie, that's horrible. I'm sorry. That's why you didn't say anything about it."

"Yeah. It was hard to find out. They're trying to fix it, but..."

"Hey, don't worry so much. It'll be fine. They'll fix it."

"That's what I've been telling myself."

"That's good. It's not healthy to worry too much. Sophie, the lists don't matter if you really love him. What matters is how you feel about each other. The match is just some dumb tradition. You don't need it if you already know who you want to be with. So what if the person isn't on your lists? So what if you don't even register? What matters is you and your choice, Sophie. If you really love them, it's worth being called a bad match. Don't ever listen to the people who hate on you. They do it because they've never had real love; they don't understand. You matter, Sophie, not what they, or the match, says."

Marella's outburst left Sophie speechless. She would never have suspected Marella, of all people, the popular girl, to be so opposed to the match. Nonetheless, Marella's words were a welcome consolation.

"Marella... thank you. It means a lot to me that you didn't act weird about it. You're a true friend."

"Any time. If you ever need to talk, let me know. You know I've always got your back, Sophie."

The encounter left Sophie in high spirits as she returned to her locker. By the time she Leaped home, her fears had all but abated.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Heyo, I haven't put one of these notes since the first chapter but anyway... sorry! Sorry sorry sorry for the extremely long wait and this chapter isn't even very good. I know I said I would be gone for like two months it's been like two years instead! Visible apologize. I'm on Summer break so hoooopefully I can write more, but look how it turned out last time... Basically I'm unreliable, so I guess don't wait up for another chapter because it might not be out for a while. Insert sad face here. And sorry about this chapter it's bad. I'm really excited for the next two chapters though! Sorry if I get the Shores of Solace wrong, I don't remember them talking about it a lot. Also I hope none of y'all are homophobic.

**Chapter 4:**

Over the next few days, Sophie settled back into the rhythm of normal elven life. She spent much of her time at Foxfire or helping her parents tend to Havenfield's dense animal population. The return to a set schedule was refreshing, not to mention the disappear of the constant worrying; the Neverseen hadn't made an appearance since Tam had been taken. The Black Swan had no leads to go off of, so Sophie and her friends couldn't plan for anything. Instead, Mr. Forkle and the rest of the Collective had been trying to make the Lost Cities more secure. Sandor and Sophie's other bodyguards had been busy devising new security tactics.

Fitz had been as amazing as ever. Sophie began to grow closer and closer to him not just in Cognate training, but in everyday life as well. Oftentimes she found herself chatting with Fitz, speaking more freely than she had felt in a long time. They maintained their nightly talks together, sometimes through transmission when Fitz was feeling up to it, other times through the simple Imparter call. With each conversation, the pair seemed to open up more about their current feelings. Although they were Cognates and were obligated to share everything anyway, this trust was built naturally.

However, there was a very different situation taking place with someone else. Keefe had been growing more and more distant ever since Lady Gisela had shot the Alicorns and taken Tam. Sophie and the others had stayed away from him when he made it clear he wanted to be alone for some time. It had been going on for an excessively long time, though, Sophie thought, and she started to notice it more clearly with her focus on school. Keefe barely ever cracked jokes anymore, instead completely silent in class and everywhere else. He wasn't even being given detention anymore, since he didn't disrupt class, but Sophie suspected his grades were dropping; he never seemed to be listening to the Mentors. At this point, Sophie was getting worried for him.

When Sophie got to Foxfire the next day, Keefe was nowhere to be found.

This wasn't an unusual act for him, but given his recent behavior, Sophie immediately began to worry. The morning classes she shared with Keefe seemed oddly empty without him there. Her fretting had only heightened by lunch, when Keefe still hadn't arrived. She thought about expressing her worry to Fitz when she sat down, but he was in deep conversation with Dex, looking almost parallel to Marella and Linh giggling on Sophie's left.

_Linh? Giggling? _Sophie wondered. Linh was usually the most serious in their group.

_Fire and water, I guess,_ she thought absentmindedly. It was good that Marella had recovered from their talk about the Match yesterday.

The rest of the day's classes whizzed by in a flurry of worry. After the final bell rang, Sophie gathered her numerous bodyguards and headed to one of Foxfire's Leapmasters.

~~~

The Shores of Solace was unexpectedly cold; Sophie had imagined a beach house would be sunny all the time, with warm sand and cool waves. This place, though, was cold, windy, and had a beach of hard rocks. Fitting for Keefe's dad, Sophie thought as she shivered in her comparatively light Foxfire uniform. The building itself was huge, though nowhere near the size of Candleshade, and Sophie could only describe it as something like a sand castle made entirely of stone.

She had decided not to warn Keefe of her arrival, since knowing his brooding side he'd probably turn her away. Sophie knee that Keefe would most likely resist any solace, ironically enough what with where he was currently living. She strode up to what could only be the front door, a very large archway with stone doors, and knocked.

"Keefe!"

A moment later she realized the house was so huge he probably couldn't hear her, but the door opened almost immediately.

"Sophie? What are you doing here?"

Keefe looked, to say the least, a mess. His hair was unkempt, his clothes wrinkled, and there were bags under his eyes. All he had left were his natural Elven good looks. He hadn't even called her Foster.

"I came to check on you. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." Keefe led the way into the house and up a spiral staircase to a massive bedroom. He gestured for Sophie and, unsuccessfully, her bodyguards to take a seat. "What's up?"

"You tell me. You don't talk for weeks, push us all away, now you're skipping class. What's going on, Keefe?"

Sophie could see Keefe going into self-deprecation mode, so she went into another area of conversation. "I know Lady Gisela poisoned the Alicorns and took Tam, but it isn't your fault! Please don't blame yourself for something you didn't do. Don't give her the satisfaction of seeing it affect you like this. This is what she wants, for you to beat yourself up over what she does. She may be your mother, but Keefe... she isn't your family. We are, and we don't want to see you like this. If there's any way we can help..."

Keefe blinked. "Sophie... thanks. I actually feel a lot better. I'm sorry I've been acting weird lately. It's just with Tam gone... I haven't been feeling capable enough. I mean, she's my mom, and my responsibility."

"Just don't let her get to you. Will you come back to Foxfire? We're all missing you."

"Maybe. You know I'll do anything for you, Foster," he smirked.

~~~

After her talk with Keefe, Sophie felt satisfied that he was acting more like his old self, although she knew it would take a lot more to get him completely recovered. As such, she was still full of worry the next day at Foxfire. When she walked into the welcome hall, though, she spotted some familiar faces immediately, including Keefe's. He wasn't at his usual level of enthusiasm by any means, but at least he was actively participating in class again and was talking to their group of friends. He and Biana delved into deep conversation during lunch. Throughout her idle conversation with Fitz, Sophie caught snatches of talk reveling that Keefe was back.

During her afternoon classes, Sophie came across a revelation of her own. If she could help Keefe this much, support someone she cared about and protect him from his pain, what did that say about her? What was to stop her from protecting her own self? There was room for risk in life; that's what made it life. Sophie decided to take leap, not of faith, but of trust.

After her classes, she found Fitz at his locker. "Fitz, hey!"

"Hey, Soph. What's up?" As always, Sophie flushed at his smile, especially with what she was about to say.

"Fitz, do you want to go out with me?"

**TL;DR I know Gisela's really got you annoyed but remember if you kill her then you'll be unemployed**


	6. Chapter 5

Sophie lay now on her bed, enjoying a new luxury that came with her new Neverseen-free life: free time. Being able to fully devote herself to her school and social life was something Sophie hadn't been able to experience in a long time, since she first came to the Lost Cities. Even then, she had been dealing with the adoption incident and soon after had her first taste of the Black Swan. Between it all, there had been few times during which she could sit down and have a piece of Mallowmelt in peace. Not to mention her echo hadn't given her any trouble since before she tried to register for the match. Bliss gave room to think about trivial things, though. Instead of stressing about how to save two entire worlds with the help of a group of teenagers, she was now stressing about a completely new experience: her first date.

The day before, she had finally mustered up the resolve to begin her love life. Honestly, Sophie had fully expected Fitz to say yes, as they had kind of talked about it before. But there was still a certain relief that came with the word. He had been really excited, and so was she. All this talk about the Match had opened her eyes to what could be, she guessed. Looking back, Sophie didn't think she would have had this kind of mental freedom to date Fitz if all had gone well at the Matchmakers' Office; she'd be stuck with all the other kids in a whirlpool of waiting, of hoping and wondering. She would have to wait until her lists came back, and Sophie thought those lists would probably have dictated her decisions in some capacity. Yes, she was far better off without the Match; her initial tentativeness toward it had been proven justified. Maybe humans did get some things right. She sure missed the internet.

Sophie and Fitz had yet to set a date, but what they had decided on was a place. Fitz knew a really fancy restaurant in Atlantis that Alden and Della had often gone to before they married. Admittedly, it was a bit much for Sophie's arguably dull taste, but she decided to let him have some fun. After all, it was their first date. He hadn't told her much about it, but she assumed it was like any stereotypical "fancy restaurant" that she used to see in movies.

With so grand a setting, Sophie thought she might need to dress a bit fancier as well, so she called up Biana, her only link to the fashion world.

Biana got really excited when Sophie mentioned with word shopping; Sophie suspected Biana only backed up Sophie's conclusion as an excuse to go shopping with her. Sophie was grateful anyway. They scheduled a meetup in Atlantis on an Imparter call for the next day, and Biana said she would start scheduling a shopping spree right away. Apart from shopping, Sophie thought this would be a good way to relax, have some fun, and spend time with Biana. Dating wasn't the only social aspect she needed to catch up on.

* * *

Biana had told Sophie where she planned to meet, in front of one of the numerous boutiques in Atlantis. When Sophie got there in the morning, she wasn't disappointed; their first stop looked promising indeed. In the display were a beautiful collection of dresses in every color you could think of, some with extravagant jewelry and some without any at all. All of them looked fantastic, even if some were a bit too over-the-top for Sophie's taste. If the variety at this relatively little shop was anything to go off of, Sophie had a whole lot of choosing to do today.

"Aw, come on. You can't already be mooning over these; this isn't even the best place!"

Sophie jumped. "You scared me!"

Biana was clad in a plain yet still pretty dress, looking at Sophie with an amused look on her face. "I'm going to have to teach you how to pick and choose, aren't I."

When they went inside Sophie was immediately drawn to the very prominent and extensive book section. Sadly, it wasn't to be.

"Sophie, come on! We're here to make you look good, not make your brain bigger than it already is."

_I'll be back someday!_ Sophie told the book section.

Biana's earlier conclusion proved correct; they didn't spend hardly any time in that boutique, or any of the other ones, for that matter. Biana had come prepared to help Sophie shop, and by the time they had gotten through the extensive list of stores it was nearly evening. There was something about shopping, especially in the Elven world, that took Sophie's mind off any anxieties. They had decided after the first store to make this a trip to refresh Sophie's entire wardrobe rather than just choosing one dress. Each store had so much to offer, and the two ended up with their arms stacked with clothes. They went back to Havenfield to sort the articles out and decide which one Sophie was going to wear to her date. It was one of the most fun, albeit exhausting, days Sophie had experienced in a while.

They had settled on one of the plainer dresses, a teal blue gown, accompanied by matching teal bracelets. Sophie had tried it on and Biana was overjoyed with the outcome.

"You're going to look amaaaziiing!" she sang.

"All thanks to you! Now I know how to shop like a pro," Sophie replied.

It had been a great day, but... there was still one thing nagging her. "So... you're really okay with me dating Fitz?"

"Oh, Sophie, of course! You two are perfect together; I've always suspected it. Honestly, if he's going to date, you're the one I'd have him with. You're my best friend, Sophie, and I know you won't hurt him."

Sophie smiled. Biana's approval made everything that much better. Sophie knew from that point that it was going to be a success. And with that, she and Fitz set the date.


	7. Chapter 6

The date between Fitz and Sophie was set for the very next evening, at a restaurant in Atlantis called the Violet Lagoon. Fitz had said he was really happy they were finally going out and, to be honest, it was one of the most exciting things Sophie had ever heard. She was going on a date with the boy she had liked for well over a year, ever since she first saw him. He was the one who had taken her to the Lost Cities, the one who had stuck by her ever since then. They had suffered through decisions, battles, mind breaks, mind heals, months in the hospital together. He was her Cognate, the person she trusted most in the entire world, and her best friend. And now, her boyfriend.

Sophie supposed she should have seen it before. She and Fitz had always been really close, and he had always stood up for her. When they became Cognates, this became even more so. They had had so many _moments_ throughout their friendship when Sophie thought that maybe... just maybe he liked her as much as she liked him. Then came that evening in the hall, that fateful day and those fateful words which Sophie would never forget: _I want it to be you._

Oddly, Sophie wasn't anxious the entire morning on the day of the date. Nor was she nervous when she went up to her room to put on the gown she had picked out with Biana the prior day. Nor, even, did she feel any trepidation when she arrived in Atlantis and made her way to the Violet Lagoon, which was every bit as extravagant and luxurious as she had imagined. No, the only trembling Sophie engaged in that day was the fluttering of her heart when she saw him.

Fitz was standing on the way outside the restaurant in a magnificent midnight blue suit and a eye-catching gold tie. He somehow looked even better than he usually did. He turned to her, smiling with just a bit of nervosity.

"Sophie! You look beautiful," he said.

Sophie smiled too. "You look very handsome tonight, Fitz."

Fitz blushed, his smile widening. "Ready to go in?" he said.

They began to walk toward the entrance, and for once she wasn't thinking of the things that could go wrong; she was dreaming of all the wonderful things that could go right. In that moment, Sophie forgot all the woes and evil in the world. She forgot the Neverseen, the Black Swan, the Council. She forgot the world in wake of this gorgeous boy in front of her. In that moment, Sophie Foster was the happiest she had ever been.

The end.


End file.
